After the SheBelieves Final (USWNT vs. Brazil)
February 22, 2023
United States 2-1 Brazil final score
Toyota Stadium, Frisco, Texas
"Brunn?"
Becky Sauerbrunn turned to look at Mallory Swanson as they left the reporters, in company with Alex Morgan. "Yeah, kiddo? You alright?" She squeezed the younger girl's hand reassuringly. "You did good."
"I know," Mal said, giving the older women a wary look. "I broke Pressie's record. Didn't I?"
"Matched it at least," Alex hummed under her breath. "Pressie might want to discuss that one with you herself."
Mal's eyes widened.
"She won't be mad, will she, Tia Alex?"
Alex laughed. "Of course not, Mal, bunny, you know better than that. Silly girl." She smiled fondly, giving Mal a hug. "She'll be so proud of you."
"Of you, and not Dansby," Brunn joked, making Mal poke her.
"Dansby didn't do it."
"We know," Alex chuckled. "It gets annoying when they keep talking about him, doesn't it?"
"I love Dansby," Mal protested. "Just...was it a mistake?"
Alex stopped short, waving Brunn on down the tunnel and turning her full attention on Mal. "Was what a mistake, bunny?" She hoped Mal didn't mean marrying Dansby. The two of them were perfect for each other.
"Putting his name - our name - on my jersey." Mal tugged at Alex's Morgan 13 jersey. "You didn't put Servando's on yours."
Alex blushed. "Oh, well, it's a personal decision, sweetheart. Servando and I talked about it, and it was right for us. That doesn't mean you shouldn't have taken Dansby's name."
Mal nodded, following Alex. “Andi got carded, didn’t she,” she offered, changing the subject. They paused outside the door, where the sound of Brunn and Andi’s voices cut Mal off from saying any more. Mal winced, as Andi was sent for the paddle, and hurried past Alex to Lindsey’s side.
“Linds?”
“Yeah?” Lindsey turned away from Andi’s impending doom, focusing on her adopted twin. “You okay, Mal?”
“I just…the other day, after with Japan, and…”
“What about it?” Lindsey folded her arms, raising an eyebrow.
“Do you think…do you think Vlatko will make you captain a lot more?”
Lindsey hummed softly to herself. “Do you think I can’t do it?”
“No! Linds, you know I know you can do it, you deserve it, but…” Mallory dropped her gaze. “Just…what if what happened, happens again.”
Lindsey sighed.
“It’s probably going to, you know, Mal. And maybe sometimes when I don’t have an excuse to feel hypocritical for it.”
Slowly, Mal nodded.
“Linds…if you have to again…” Mal swallowed. “I’ll be good for you.”
Lindsey gave her best friend a relieved smile, hugging her.
“I know you will,” she said softly. “And you know it doesn’t change anything between us, right? Captain or not, we’re still Mummy Carli’s girls.”
“Forever,” Mal agreed, returning Lindsey’s hug just as tightly. “Love you, Linds.”
“I love you, Mal.” Lindsey slipped through to the baths with Mal, leaving Andi to Brunn. Luckily it wasn’t long before the rest of the team filtered in, Andi trying to rub the ache from her bottom.
“Fuck you, Sauerbrunn.” Andi muttered, getting into the tub across from the Meep Twins.
Becky raised her eyebrows at Andi. “No thank you,” she said calmly, “but I appreciate the offer.”
Lindsey snorted and rolled her eyes as Andi ducked under the water to hide her blush.
“Not what I meant,” Andi grumbled when she resurfaced, as Lindsey snickered.
“Then don’t say things like that,” she advised the other girl. “If you’re going to be a brat for Brunn she’ll take full advantage, you should know that by now.”
“Guess so.” Andi leaned back against the edge of the tub, letting out a slow breath. “So we won.”
“We won,” Lindsey agreed. “And it’s not all that long until Vlatko has to know which of us are going Down Under.”
“No pressure then, Horan,” Andi snarked.
This time it was Mal’s turn to laugh.
“Well, let’s hope Vlatko has a plan in mind.”
“He better have a backup plan in case of injuries,” Brunn said, joining them and giving Andi’s shoulder a squeeze in reassurance, and forgiveness. “The season’s about to start.”
The four exchanged meaningful looks.
SheBelieves was over, but the work had just begun.